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US Legislative Advocacy
By heightening awareness among policy makers and increasing federal funding for microbicide research and development, the Global Campaign for Microbicides is working to make microbicides a higher priority on the U.S. Federal AIDS research agenda. Learn more about the Microbicide Development Act below. So far, dozens of Representatives and Senators have signed on!
Ask Congress to support the Microbicide Development Act!
Legislative Resource Center - Updated February 29, 2008
| Advocates factsheet - all the basics you need to know - the list of current sponsors |
 word |
| Call your legislators | word |
| Write - a letter to adapt and send to your legislators | word |
| Email action alert to circulate (short version) | word |
| Tell others - one page action alert | word |
| Legislators factsheet - to give/send to staffers | word |
| BACKGROUND: | |
| New! Federal investment into microbicides 1998 - 2008 |  pdf |
| Questions and answers about the details of the MDA | word |
| The full text of the MDA - Senate version | pdf |
| The full text of the MDA - House version | pdf |
| Dear Colleague letter circulated in March 2007 | pdf |
| Press release about the introduction of the MDA | pdf |
| Letter of support from over 125 U.S. groups | pdf |
| Letter of support for the Microbicides Trials Network | word |
| NIH Office of AIDS Research Microbicides Strategy | pdf |
The Microbicide Development Act (MDA) of 2007
Barely 3% of the US budget for HIV/AIDS research -- three cents of every dollar -- is spent on efforts to find a safe, effective microbicide. With the support the Microbicide Development Act provides, we could have one on the market in the next 5 to 7 years. Without such support, it's likely to take a lot longer!
In late July 2007, the National Institutes of Health announced an important decision to undertake some of the activities and responsibilities outlined in the Microbicide Development Act. Specifically, NIH indicated that a microbicide research and development branch will be established within the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Diseasees (NIAID). This is welcome and overdue news, but remains a partial response. Even as NIH signals an intention to establish the microbicide branch, funding and adequate staffing remain significant challenges.
The goal of the Microbicide Development Act is to strenghen and coordinate the federal government's microbicide research and development efforts by formally establishing and authorizing microbicide programs and also establishing clear lines of responsibility at and across the three major agencies undertaking work on microbicides (NIH, CDC and USAID).
The Microbicide Development Act was introduced in the House of Represenatives and the Senate on International Women's Day, March 8, 2007. Since then, more than 70 Representatives and Senators have signed on, but we still need more co-sponsors for this bill to be passed. Please take a moment to write to your legislators and ask them to sign on to the Microbicide Development Act:
- Write to Congress by email - click here
- Learn more and tell others - download this factsheet - Word
- Write a letter and send by fax or snail-mail - download and adapt this letter Word
Over 125 U.S. groups support microbicide legislation in the 110th Congress...
In February 2007, over one hundred non-governmental organizations sent a clear signal to Congress that we need strong microbicides legislation. See the full letter and list of supporters. To see the non-governmental organization letter sent in September 2007, click here. To read the most recent letter sent to Congress on behalf of 150 organizations in January 2008, click here. You can email Adeyemi Oshodi at aoshodi@path.org to have your group included on future letters.
